AAP leader Somnath Bharti allegedly beaten by BJP workers in Varanasi

Varanasi: AAP leader Somnath Bharti was on Tuesday assaulted allegedly by BJP workers at Varanasi's Assi ghat when he went there to participate in an election-related programme.

"Somnath Bharti went to Assi ghat for an election-related programme arranged by a channel where BJP supporters took objections to the statements made by him. Although AAP volunteers tried to pacify BJP workers, they assaulted Bharti who suffered minor injuries. They also used abusive language. Two AAP volunteers were also hurt in the melee," claimed AAP's Varanasi coordinator Ramanand Rai.

AAP leader Somnath Bharti. Pic/AFP

After getting first aid, Bharti, former Law Minister of Delhi, went to Bhelupur police station to register a complaint.

Bharti, a former minister in Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP's 49-day government in Delhi, is in Varanasi to campaign for his party from where Kejriwal is taking on BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Kejriwal filed his nomination papers on Tuesday and Modi is expected to file his nomination papers on Wednesday.

This is not the first time when AAP and BJP workers clashed in Varanasi. Last week, AAP activists had an altercation with volunteers of BJP when the Kejriwal's car was allegedly stopped by BJP workers.

As the election battle hots up, volunteers of both the parties have started gathering in Varanasi to campaign for their respective parties.

In the coming days, the temple town may see many such incidents as the supporters keep flooding the temple town, making the atmosphere more volatile.